Studying Customer Evaluations of Electronic Commerce Applications: A Review and Adaptation of the Task-Technology Fit Perspective

The advantages arising from the emergence of electronic commerce (EC) are manifold. From automating inventory replenishment to replacing traditional sales channels with web-based interfaces, the concept of electronic commerce presents a number of research challenges and opportunities. A key prerequisite for leveraging EC applications is a thorough understanding of how customers interact with these applications. A primary challenge for the successful design and implementation of these applications is managing not only the increasingly heterogeneous nature of the task performed in the context of EC, but the wide variety of interaction devices (e.g., wireless phones, PDAs, etc.) that customers use to execute these tasks. The significance and primary contribution of this research effort is to adapt and apply Task-Technology Fit (TTF) Theory to an EC domain. Using the techniques outlined by Goodhue [14], TTF constructs for an EC task domain are derived by applying factors/principles from web usability research. The TTF determinants of task, technology, and individual characteristics are modified to fit an EC domain. An electronic commerce TTF instrument is presented along with a research model for better understanding the relationships between independent and dependent variables. Finally, plans and implications for future research are discussed.